'AFL = Alcoa Fujikura, Ltd. Established in 1984 to provide optical products for power utility applications. Headquartered in Franklin, TN. Major manufacturing operations in: Duncan, SC Belmont, NH Mexico and the U.K. Japan is experiencing widespread deployment of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Deployment is driven by a competitive telecom environment. Power Utilities are a key player in this environment. Competition and economy of scale have enabled development of inexpensive and scalable technologies. Public Power can help lead the United States toward similar competition and benefits. However: FTTH deployment is not government subsidized. Labor rates to install new cable are generally higher than labor rates in the U.S. High population density enables DSL of 10 Mb/s. DSL, cable modem, and wireless are all widely available. The nationwide number of landline voice subscribers is actually decreasing